The present and future well being of a society requires and involved, caring, citizenry with good moral character. People do not automatically develop good moral character; therefore conscientious efforts must be made to help your people develop the values and abilities necessary for moral decision-making and conduct. Educators the world over believe that appropriately implemented discipline policies are vital to establish a positive school climate. Updating a school wide disciplinary process to match the goals of moral-discipline policies requires a meaningful commitment of time and effort.
Character is integral in our lives as water. We need water to survive, It encompasses our body and our surroundings and without it, life is dull and brittle. Sometimes I forget to drink enough of it and don’t realize until later that I have forgotten.Character is like the game of golf. You know all the basics to the game. However you are often faced with dilemmas. When you make the right shot (choice) there’s no better feeling. Then there are times you don’t give it enough thought and you think you know it all and you make the worst possible shot. This results in a range of feelings from “oh well” to down right anger. Then there are times you have thought it through, still you are unsure about your choice, but give it your best shot. Maybe you will get lucky and maybe you won’t. Either way as long as you walk off the golf course having learned something from the day, then you are successful.
Character Education is nourishment for the healthy development of child. Character Education is the process of learning behaviours that help you throughout your life. These behaviours- good and bad are taught to you consciously and unconsciously by our family, friends and teachers and the community at large. We are our own creation of character from all our experiences, it will either be acceptable by others or not. Students participating in an effective, integrated character education program should increase their achievement level, as well as become socially responsible persons with greater co-operation in the classroom, good decision making skills, and a more caring, thoughtful attitude towards others.
There is a long list of character traits that can be taught in schools. Following are some of the values that can be taught. Each character trait can be the focus for each month. Classroom activities are focused around the character traits. The character trait is integrated into each subject for the each month.
Responsibility is a willingness to complete assigned task, use self-control and to be accountable for your behaviour.
Trustworthiness is being honest with words and actions and keeping your promises.
Respect it to treat others in a polite and courteous manner. Show concern for all things; people, property and authority.
Caring is to show love, kindness, and understanding towards others.
Compassion is to be sympathetic towards others, and reach out to those in need.
Justice is to speak out for what is fair, right and true.
Tolerance is to recognize and respect opinions and beliefs of others without judgement.
Co-operation is the ability to work and play with others in a fair and responsible way to complete a task.
WHAT WE WANT FROM OUR STUDENTS:
Listen to parents and respect authority: Show respect for authority, beginning with parents and extending to elders, teachers and in time employers. It is also important for students to respect each other.
Value the good for its benefit: Understand that strong character contributes to personal and social well being. Demonstrate the ability to utilize met cognitive skills as means of understanding the role of ethical behaviour and good citizenship.
Be aware, even sceptical of persons, places or things that might cause a lapse in character: Know personal strengths and weaknesses. Acknowledge that actions have consequences to self and others. Realize that not all people have your best interest in mind and identify which people or situations can be trusted.
Provide for modelling and practising of social skills that demonstrate core values (e.g perspective taking, critical thinking, problem solving, ethical decision making
Using reading, writing and higher order thinking skills to enhance an understanding of the understanding of character education tenets.
WHAT WE WANT FROM OUR TEACHERS:
Teachers should communicate to parents through a classroom newsletter, which will be sent at least once a month.
Teachers will incorporate character education into the curriculum.
Students will be provided with opportunities across the curriculum to apply problem-solving skills.
Reading stories about character building concepts. Activities for students to learn about character building.
Student’s work on character education (writing and artwork) should be displayed.
Don’t allow unkindness of any kind in your classroom no “put downs.”
Write, call or visit parents to praise their child.
Have students write their own sayings or significance or create a personal motto; display on wall.
Encourage students to bring articles about moral issues.
Facilitating discussions and role-play activities
Encouraging students to explore a variety of problem solving techniques as alternatives to anti-social behaviour.
WHAT WE WANT FROM ADMINISTRATORS:
An atmosphere of mutual respect, fairness and co-operation that pervades all relationships- those among the adults in the school, as well as those between the adults and the students.
There should be sense of pride and recognition that character is important, improvement in overall school behaviour.
An increased power to change student’s moral behaviour, create an environment for learning positive character traits and increase parental support. Improved communication with families also.
Use morning announcements, school/classroom bulletin boards or the school newsletter to highlight various accomplishments- particularly character-oriented ones- of students and faculty members.
Be a good role model and ensure whatever expectations they have for their students they also follow with their colleagues, parents, staff and students.
Serve as ethical mentor- providing direct moral instruction and guidance through explanation, storytelling, classroom discussion, encouragement of positive behaviour, and corrective moral feedback.
A strong middle school advisory system provides both adult mentoring and positive peer partnerships. The advisory program group should meet and discuss school issues, share what is happening in their lives, plan group activities and discuss current events.
WHAT WE WANT FROM PARENTS:
Parents can visit school and learn what their children are studying and what interests them. Model the behaviour you want the children to follow.
Visit school to share about a personal hero.
Take an active role in childcare’s lives. Spend time with them, volunteer at a school, lead a club, or coach a team.
Give teachers items they may need in the classroom like scissors, old magazines etc.
As parents are crucial component of the learning process, schools design activities for parents and children to do together. For example instead of science fair the school may sponsor a family science night and invite parents to participate not just observe.
TEACHING STRATEGIES IN CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM:
Summarize exemplary behaviours from the story
How gossip can distort information and make it untrue.
Appeals to student interest
Read stories to the students that how families, friends and neighbours in the community help each other.
Provide opportunities for student reflection on character related issues e.g. journal writing, essays, class meetings, class discussions, artistic expression.
Read stories about character building concepts. Develop activities for students to learn and practice what they read.
Work with colleagues at grade level to share ideas and resources.
With students brainstorm ways to improve the school. Put some into action as a class project.
Stories enlighten and inspire; they attract the listener to goodness. In their journals, the students assess books characters positive and negative decisions.
We want to see students who are actively engaged in meaningful work, who know important things and can use them and who can tell us what they are doing and why. Teachers should tape record all children twice a year to document how they handle written text and how they talk about books and language. A group of teachers should meet and setup the monthly character education themes, words of the week and character education lessons. Lessons should include introducing virtue of the month and words of the week. Students will learn to avoid risk- taking behaviour through responsible decision making and thoughtful future planning as well as through the observation of caring and responsible behaviour modelled by parents, teachers, and school personnel.
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